SCCL 2018: Five young footballers to watch

MIAMI -- The old saying in football is that if a player is good enough, then he is old enough.

In alphabetical order, here are five of the best players 20-year-old and younger to watch during the 2018 Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League.

Tyler Adams, MF/New York Red Bulls (18)The 18-year-old midfielder made 22 starts for New York during the 2017 season and impressed MLS observers with his poise as a deep-lying midfielder. Accurate in his passing, all it takes is one ball from Adams to launch a Red Bulls attack. Adams also keeps things tidy, ready to clean up a miscue or halt an opponent’s counterattack.

Edson Alvarez, MF/Club America (20)Already with 33 first-team appearances at Club America in Liga MX regular-season play, Alvarez is strong in the air, but does not fear having the ball at his feet. As a 19-year-old, he was named to Mexico’s 2017 CONCACAF Gold Cup squad, appearing in five games and scoring in a 2-0 win over Curacao.

Roberto Dominguez, DF/Santa Tecla (20)The 20-year-old center back already has SCCL experience, having played in four matches with Santa Tecla during the 2015/16 edition. He also has more than 100 first-team appearances in Salvadoran football. Dominguez is a tall, physical defender, who anticipates well and clears cleanly.

Jimmy Marin, FW/Herediano (20)Marin has 45 appearances under his belt in Costa Rica’s Liga Nacional, most coming with Herediano. A left winger who likes to break down opponents, Marin is a critical piece of Jafet Soto’s attack. After earning just three starts and playing 483 during the 2017 Clausura under former head coach Hernan Medford, Marin is thriving under Soto, with five starts and 359 minutes already in the 2018 Clausura.

Nouhou Tolo, DF/Seattle Sounders FC (20)The Cameroon native impressed many onlookers in his first MLS season last year, featuring in 24 matches. The left back also played in five of Seattle’s playoff outings during its run to the 2017 MLS Cup final. Tolo exudes a confidence rarely seen from a player so young. He is not afraid to push forward in attack, but makes sure to track back in defense.

Champions League

Related News

Champions LeagueMendoza making most of chance at Club TijuanaWednesday, Feb 07, 2018

Martin thrives at Club America

W Connection head coach Stuart Charles-Fevrier talks with CONCACAF.com about his team’s elimination from the 2018 Caribbean Club Championship (CCC) after falling to Atletico Pantoja on Sunday and looks ahead to the domestic season.

Schmetzer has Seattle Sounders FC thinking SCCL

Brian Schmetzer makes no bones about it.

CONCACAF Weekend’s Best (February 5, 2018)

CONCACAF.com takes a look at the best performances and most interesting stories in CONCACAF Weekend's Best.